HM Customs clearance time

[Dougal]

What are people's experiences of how long it takes a watch (bought from outside the EU) to clear UK customs?

[markrlondon]

Anything from no noticeable delay to more than a week in customs. Imports from some countries seem to be worse than others. It also depends massively on who the courier it.

In my experience, when importing via Royal Mail, stuff coming from the USA usually has minimal delay (i.e. day or so, if any), Hong Kong and China usually no delay. Other countries usually have minimal delay.

Items coming in via Parcelforce (i.e. the sender sent using their country's 'EMS' service) can often see a little bit more of a delay.

Stuff coming in by courier such as Fedex or UPS often has no delay whatsoever. They seem to have customs clearance much better organised than Parcelforce.

Occasionally customs (or Border Force who actually do the work now) will go on a super-inspection drive for certain source countries.

[Steve748]

You can speed up the process by emailing parcelfarce and paying online rather than waiting for the bill to arrive in the post.

Other carriers have sent me the bill after I have received the item.

[markrlondon]

You can speed up the process by emailing parcelfarce and paying online rather than waiting for the bill to arrive in the post.

However, this won't speed up the time it spends in customs awaiting clearance. :-(

For example, I've got this Parcelforce item waiting to be paid for:

07-09-2013 00:27 London North West Depot Awaiting payment of charges
07-09-2013 00:02 London North West Depot Received at delivery depot
06-09-2013 11:42 National Hub Received and processed
06-09-2013 05:53 International Hub Revised charges to be paid
06-09-2013 05:53 International Hub Forwarded for UK processing
05-09-2013 15:56 International Hub Awaiting Customs Charging
28-08-2013 18:12 International Hub Awaiting Customs clearance
28-08-2013 18:11 International Hub Awaiting Customs clearance
28-08-2013 18:09 International Hub Received in destination country
26-08-2013 22:14 TAIPEI INT AMF Forwarded for export
26-08-2013 15:29 Delivery Agent - TAIWAN Collected from customer

Although I could now (at last!) call or email to find out the cost (hopefully the card will arrive on Monday or maybe even today if I'm lucky), there was no opportunity to do it before. The bulk of the time was spent waiting for customs (Border Force) to do their thing. There was no way to speed that up.

[Dougal]

Many thanks. I've been waiting for a USPS delivery, which has been with UK Customs for a fortnight. Any advice?

I tried searching through the UK Border Force website, but couldn't find anything helpful. Perhaps I missed something.

[markrlondon]

Many thanks. I've been waiting for a USPS delivery, which has been with UK Customs for a fortnight. Any advice?

I tried searching through the UK Border Force website, but couldn't find anything helpful. Perhaps I missed something.

USPS will be coming in either via Parcelforce or Royal Mail, depending on the postage method chosen by the sender. It will most likely be Royal Mail, I think. What stage does it show on the tracking information? If it's still at "International Hub Awaiting Customs Charging" or "International Hub Awaiting Customs clearance" (or similar phrases) then it is these very steps that can take a long time. To the best of my knowledge, there is no way to speed this up.

You could try ringing RM or PF and see if they can suggest anything. They could perhaps also advise you on who to call at Border Force.

In other countries it seems that their customs agencies often like to talk to the recipient to confirm values and materials but, in the UK, this seems to be exceedingly rare. If, however, there is a query outstanding then making contact with Border Force and/or RM or PF might speed things up. Or not.

[lewismark]

Many thanks. I've been waiting for a USPS delivery, which has been with UK Customs for a fortnight. Any advice?

I tried searching through the UK Border Force website, but couldn't find anything helpful. Perhaps I missed something.

Mine took 3 and a half weeks to arrive from New York - then the dreaded import duty letter arrives............

[markrlondon]

Mine took 3 and a half weeks to arrive from New York - then the dreaded import duty letter arrives............

Royal Mail or Parcelforce?

[SternG]

Occasionally customs (or Border Force who actually do the work now) will go on a super-inspection drive for certain source countries.

Just out of curiosity, what's Border Force, exactly?

It seems to me that dear old Albion has taken this privatisation craze a bit too far.

[Nugget]

I took delivery of a watch box from Canada yesterday and it was:

Purchased on 16 August

Despatched on 16 August via USPS

Entered customs clearance process on 19 August

Cleared customs process on 2 September and reached post office on 3 September

Letter sent to me by Parcelforce to pay the charges up front before they would deliver - import charges and their ridiculous £13.50 handling fee on top for doing nothing - 3 September

Letter arrived on 4 September and I paid on 5 September

Parcel delivered on 6 September

All in all, three weeks which was what the seller predicted.

[markrlondon]

Just out of curiosity, what's Border Force, exactly?

It seems to me that dear old Albion has taken this privatisation craze a bit too far.

It's not privatised (yet!). Wikipedia article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Force

[lewismark]

Royal Mail or Parcelforce?

USPS both times, hit for £78 and £38 import duty. Both parcels were marked 'used horological equipment for repair'.

[markrlondon]

USPS both times, hit for £78 and £38 import duty. Both parcels were marked 'used horological equipment for repair'.

Yup, I meant were they passed to Royal Mail or Parcelforce in the UK? :-) Coming from USPS they would have gone to one or the other depending on the exact postage method chosen by the sender.

[lewismark]

Royal Mail - they dropped the charge letters through the door then its off down to the office to pay the cash

[markrlondon]

Royal Mail - they dropped the charge letters through the door then its off down to the office to pay the cash

Interesting, thanks. In my experience Royal Mail customs clearances are usually faster than Parcelforce's. But I guess things vary.

[lewismark]

The seller did warn me that only recently had he experienced customers complaining about long delays

[gentlemenpreferhats]

I recently had an item sent from Japan via EMS and passed through customs in one day. Parcelforce sent a detailed printed notification letter of charges two days after which i paid immediately, expecting next day delivery...and then nothing for a week. After negotiating Parcelforce's voice rec switchboards I eventually spoke to a friendly human at Royal College St who explained there had a been a few systems changes and online payment confirmations weren't being passed through to the coalface. Unfortunately Parcelforce now discourage you from going to the the depot F2F.
I should point out I've had items posted pretty much once every few months for years from US, HK or Japan and this is the only time its really fallen over for me.

[Nadeem]

When I read the thread title I thought the OP was having a watch clearout to pay a tax bill!

[lewismark]

I recently had an item sent from Japan via EMS and passed through customs in one day. Parcelforce sent a detailed printed notification letter of charges two days after which i paid immediately, expecting next day delivery...and then nothing for a week. After negotiating Parcelforce's voice rec switchboards I eventually spoke to a friendly human at Royal College St who explained there had a been a few systems changes and online payment confirmations weren't being passed through to the coalface. Unfortunately Parcelforce now discourage you from going to the the depot F2F.
I should point out I've had items posted pretty much once every few months for years from US, HK or Japan and this is the only time its really fallen over for me.

LOL

[Marius Titulescu]

About a week (5 working days) is the standard but lately they have been moving faster.
________________________________________
Marius
Click here for more on US customs brokerage

[paskinner]

I had a watch posted by Higuchi on the Thursday, in UK customs Sunday; took eight working days to get out, so with the weekend, ten days. Then two days to arrive, after I paid the costs by phone.
Patience is your only defence.

[reggie747]

I had a watch posted by Higuchi on the Thursday, in UK customs Sunday; took eight working days to get out, so with the weekend, ten days. Then two days to arrive, after I paid the costs by phone.
Patience is your only defence.

My experience with a Higuchi sale almost mirrors this, exactly.

[PJ S]

Nothing like a bit of thread necromancy. Anyway..

A recent one, via USPS 3-5 day international service, was collected on Wednesday, arrived in the UK on Friday, cleared on Wednesday, and at the depot the following day.
Not bad considering Monday was a Bank holiday.

[plzt]

Another recent one, waiting on a Higuchi watch. Currently stuck in customs waiting on letters

[Marius Titulescu]

What are people's experiences of how long it takes a watch (bought from outside the EU) to clear UK customs?

About a week, but can be quicker if you're lucky.
__________________________________________
Marius
Customs broker

[Derivative]

I bought a watch off eBay from a seller in Canada - it’s been stuck in “GBLALA” which I understand is Heathrow customs for 11 days now... I can’t imagine that’s typical, and it’s got me wondering if something’s wrong.

Anyone experienced such a long wait to receive the customs invoice?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[33JS]

I would have called them by now!

[PickleB]

I bought a watch off eBay from a seller in Canada - it’s been stuck in “GBLALA” which I understand is Heathrow customs for 11 days now... I can’t imagine that’s typical, and it’s got me wondering if something’s wrong.

Anyone experienced such a long wait to receive the customs invoice?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd heard of HWDC (Royal Mail's Heathrow World Distribution Centre at Langley) before, but not GBLALA, so a little research was called for. I found this link that seems to suggest that GBLALA is a code used by Parcelforce.

RM and PF are part of the same group and so both may operate at Langley. I wonder which will deliver your package?

Then there is this link that says:

It is claimed by Royal Mail that an item can be processed through Langley in 18 minutes!

The flies in the ointment are these:

1. Customs processing can take up to 8 (eight) weeks regardless of origin (EU or not)

2. There is no tracking within Langley (common sense might suggest that they track inbound, sent to Customs, received from customs, outbound) but no.

Sorry about that. For a bit more reading while you wait, see this post (link).

[Derivative]

I'd heard of HWDC (Royal Mail's Heathrow World Distribution Centre at Langley) before, but not GBLALA, so a little research was called for. I found this link that seems to suggest that GBLALA is a code used by Parcelforce.

RM and PF are part of the same group and so both may operate at Langley. I wonder which will deliver your package?

Then there is this link that says:

It is claimed by Royal Mail that an item can be processed through Langley in 18 minutes!

The flies in the ointment are these:

1. Customs processing can take up to 8 (eight) weeks regardless of origin (EU or not)

2. There is no tracking within Langley (common sense might suggest that they track inbound, sent to Customs, received from customs, outbound) but no.

Sorry about that. For a bit more reading while you wait, see this post (link).

Thank you very much - so helpful. Patience is the key...

I am getting a bit panicky tho, since for the first time ever I decided not to use pay pal and paid with my debit card instead... doh!
Not a huge amount, just over £200, but Still painful and I would be gutted if the watch itself is lost.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Derivative]

Thank you very much - so helpful. Patience is the key...

I am getting a bit panicky tho, since for the first time ever I decided not to use pay pal and paid with my debit card instead... doh!
Not a huge amount, just over £200, but Still painful and I would be gutted if the watch itself is lost.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Watch received. Took two weeks to make its way through customs, for the record.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pop Alexandra]

Two weeks is the "standard", but I received the last 2 packages in under 1 week. W2C custom brokers for the win! :D

[Ares]

Two weeks is the "standard", but I received the last 2 packages in under 1 week. W2C custom brokers for the win! :D

Are you Marius Titulescu? Or just working for the same custom broker company? Either way, this sort of advertising won't help to enhance the image of your company....

[MattH]

My package took about 2 days to get
from tokyo to the uk - its been sat in customs now for 12 days - no letter or notification.

Clearly uk customs have gone on holiday.....

ho hum.....

[kosumi]

I received one through FedEx, it was surprisingly quick. The whole journey took about 3 days from Canada to UK. FedEx sorted customs fee and sent me an invoice. Then, I paid to FedEx.

[LuvWatch]

My package took about 2 days to get
from tokyo to the uk - its been sat in customs now for 12 days - no letter or notification.

Clearly uk customs have gone on holiday.....

ho hum.....

My package from Japan arrived on the 15th August, the tracking details said waiting for customs clearance. I phoned them this morning (UPS who handle Parcel Force Customs apparantly) and the nice lady said it had been cleared and should be with me next week.

[MattH]

Ohhh which number did you call please ? I might give them a call !

thanks

matt

[LuvWatch]

Ohhh which number did you call please ? I might give them a call !

thanks

matt

It was 024 76701000

[ejtrent]

Typically a week in my experience

[MattH]

Well I could not get a answer on that number - rang parcelforce who said they seemed to be a huge backlog currently on items going through customs.. so will have to just relax and wait....